Reservoir-brush.



A; TOMPKIN. RESERVOIR BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1912.

' 1,047,338. Patented Dec. 17,1912.

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ALBERT ToMrKI' v, 0F BULWELL, NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.-

RESERVOIR-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Application filed March 9, 1912. Serial No. 682,692.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT TOMPKIN, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Bulwell, Nottingham, in the county of Nottingham, England, dyer and French cleaner, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reservoir- Brushes, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to improvements in brushes which are provided with a reservoir for a liquid which flows to the bristles when the brush is used the object of the present invention being the construction of a reservoir brush in which a regular and regulated supply of liquidis equally distributed to all the bristles in the brush, and improvements in theconstruction and arrangement of the brush, whereby a regular and regulated supply of liquid to the bristles is insured.

My invention will be fully described With reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of a reservoir brush constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same with the reservoir removed. Fig. 4 is the plan of a brush illustrating a modification in the liquid feeding arrangements and Figs. 5 to 7 corresponding views to Figs. 1 to 3 of a further modified liquid feeding arrangement.

The drawings Figs. 1, 2 and '3 illustrate the construction of a brush as designed for the dry cleaning of clothes and textile fabrics. In this brush the underside and the edges of the wooden stock a are covered with felt I) or other suitable absorbent material and the wooden stock and felt are inclosed in a metal case 0 which is fastened to the wooden stock. These parts form a complete brush stock and it is drilled for the tufts of bristles d which are secured to the wooden stock by wire sewing, cement or other usual means. The top of the brush is in the form of a hollow metal casing e which is attached to the metal casing c, and may be soldered thereto so as to form an air and liquid-tight joint. The casing e is shaped to form a handle or so that it can be securely gripped by the user and it is provided with a nipple f through which the reservoir can be charged, a cap 9 by which the nipple can be closed and a spring valve It for the inlet of air or outlet of vapor. The nipple and valve are shown at the end of the reservoir but may be placed at one side of the casing c.

In brushes constructed as herein described the bristles are so tightly packed in the wooden stock a that it is impossible for an adequate supply of liquid to pass through them and too great a supply of liquid is obtained if the bristles are in free contact with the liquid below the wooden stock. By means of the present invention the liquid in the reservoir saturatesthe tightly packed felt b and is kept charged through the exposed edges which surround the wooden stock. The bristles are in contact with the saturated felt between the bottom of the wooden stock and the metal casing c and when the brush is used the vibration of the bristles causes the liquid to pass down the bristles into contact with the article being brushed. The thickness of the felt and its degree of compression around the wooden stock may be varied according to the requirements of the brush and for larger sized brushes or when an increased flow of liquid is required the wooden stock may have one or more central strips of felt h or felt plugs 70 or both as shown in Fig. 4, which strips or plugs extendto the felt below the stock.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 to 7 in which like parts are represented by similar letters, the metal casing 0 instead of being in the form of a dish to receive the wooden stock a is made as a closed box to inclose such stock and the compressed felt I) on all sides. In other words it is provided with a covering plate m. To enable the liquid to percolate to the belt 6, and the felt filling pieces h and 70 when the stock has openings in it as shown in Fig. 4, one or more holes n are formed in the upper plate m, near to one side of the casing. This percolation can only take place when the brush is upright but to stop the flow of liquid when the brush is out of use it is merely turned on that side opposite the holes n so that the liquid level is below them.

The brush may be constructed of any suitable size and shape, and of any suitable material provided the liquid is fed to the bristles by a compressed layer of felt or equivalent material arranged between the wooden stock and the bottom part of the outer case as herein shown and described.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I 1. In a reservoir brush, the combination, with areservoir, of a brush stock secured in the reservoir and provided with bristles which project from the reservoir, and a layer of absorbent material arranged between the reservoir and the brush stock and operating to feed the contents of the reservoir to the projecting portions of the bristles;

2. In a reservoir brush, the combination, with a reservoir, of a brush stock secured in the reservoir and provided with bristles which project from the reservoir, said brush stock having also openings between the bris- 'tles, absorbent material inserted in the said openings, and a layer of absorbent material arranged between the reservoir and the brush stock, said absorbent material operating to feed the contents of the reservoir to the projecting portions of the bristles.

"In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT TOMPKINJ Witnesses LovERsELD TOMPKIN, THOS. H.- 0001;. 

